Comments on: Ah, Whole Foods

By: Liam

Liam — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:30:58 +0000

In New Jersey last week, a one-pound bag of Goya dry Red Beans -

How much?

I’m talking about your standard Chili Bean, Kidney Bean, Red Bean.

Four dollars for a One Pound Bag.

Not a five-pound bag.

A ONE Pound Bag.

No, I’m not kidding. Wish I’d taken a picture.

By: Leop

Leop — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:08:42 +0000

I noticed the same thing the last time I went to Whole Foods (Oakland location near Grand Ave). I’m a neurotic numbers guy, and I almost everything that I normally buy from the bulk section was significantly more expensive, 60-80% in a sweeping overnight change. It would not take someone particularly price conscious to notice that a whole bunch of ingredients that were less than $1/lb were now more than $1/lb. Not slick at all.

It may be time for my long-term relationship with Whole Foods to come to a messy end.

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:17:28 +0000

Well. Honestly. I only eat half foods anyway.

By: Liam

Liam — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:11:42 +0000

Hi Shanna,

Yes I have. I even mention some comparative costs in the blog. I’m sure you’re right, but here’s an item at Stop and Shop locally.

One loaf (or brick, really) of German rye bread, same brand, same item:

Stop and Shop VS Whole Foods
$2.49 ||| $4.39

Same item. The stores are within a couple miles of each other. Shipping costs?

I’ll bring a pad a and pen to the market today and return with more…

ITEMS OF INTEREST!!

By: Shanna

Shanna — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:20:20 +0000

Just out of curiousity… have any of you checked the prices at any other grocery store? You’d probably notice that they wen’t up too… food is just more expensive these days, especially with the gas prices pushing up the cost of shipping that food to the store!

By: Liam

Liam — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:11:27 +0000

I was biking back from cross town yesterday and stopped in the big, local WFM, mostly to get out of the heat for a few minutes. I walked aisle to aisle to aisle, and realized that there was nothing I couldn’t find cheaper somewhere else - even locally. And I mean nothing at all. The same brands are available elsewhere, cheaper.

The exceptions are listed in the blog - some of the larger volume soymilk containers are still competitive, as is their tofu.

But everything else is 30 to 100 percent higher than EVERY market in my large corner of Boston.

And don’t even bother walking through the produce section. It’s gorgeous, and huge, and smells good - and fruit is 3 to 5 dollars, per pound. Fruit. 3.49 a pound. 4.49 a pound. 4.99 a pound! For melons!

Good grief and holy crap. Somebody fire somebody, fast, because that place is really starting to get a permanent stink to it.

By: Mark Elliot

Mark Elliot — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:54:25 +0000

As I was browsing Whole Foods today, I realized that prices are increasing so quickly there that many of the branded products in the brad aisle don’t even have prices on the units or the shelves. The new line of soups - labeled ‘value’ - actually eliminate the old $3.99 choice and offer a slightly larger version for the price of the old, larger size. Some value. Some of the prepared foods are up 50% in only a couple of years. Whole paycheck indeed!

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 25 May 2008 12:37:48 +0000

I haven’t been following price changes, but, something I noticed recently that has me wondering…

in the meat section, there was no organic or grass-fed beef option.
They just labeled the gronnd beef as “our beef”.

Seemed strange and meaningless to me. Where did this meat come from? If it was organic or grass-fed, wouldn’t they want to let the consumer know?

My assumption at this point is that it’s the same beef you could get at any supermarket.

But calling it “our beef” is somehow supposed to make you think it might be healthier or different than the stuff you could buy at Safeway?

Also, noticing that their 5# bags of whole wheat flour were cheaper than the other brands, I bought one. It had plenty of chaff in it.

I have a feeling that Whole Foods is feeling some pain these days with the economy being what it is, and perhaps their snob appeal is losing its appeal?